THE FOXTON SENIORS

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4467, 19 June 1930, Page 2

THE FOXTON SENIORS

(CANCELLATION OF SATURDAY’S MATCH. CAUSES Ail W ERSE COAIAIEXT. Something'in the nature of a storm in a teacup characterised 1 lie Foxfon Rugby Foot hall’s weekly committee mealing last Monday

evening. Mr. \V. Neville asked the president of the Club and conch of the senior team (Mr. F. Robinson) why the seniors had not fulfilled their obligations on the previous Saturday when They had been advertised to play a home game. He ft anted to know if the Foxfon seniors were now out of the competition for good. Air. Robinson said Rule 2 of the Itorowlieiiua Rugby Cnion.’s Rules provided that a team was not compelled to drop out of the competition unless it forfeited two games in sin-cession or three at intervals. The local seniors were not out of the Knockout Competition. Air. Neville: Did the Union ask \oii to withdraw the seniors on that Saturday? Air. Robinson: Not. exactly. I old.‘lined a list of those eligible to play and found nine members of ilie team away. I notified members of the committee to this effect. Mr. Neville asked if the position would not have been just the same if there had been a full team available and keen to play. Air. Robinson said that the Foxton Racing Club had sent an aeeoimt for £5 to the TTorowhenua Rugby Council for the use of the racecourse as a playing area during the season. The position was that there had been only one junior mateb played on the rarecourse ikis season for which no gate was taken and only one or two third grade games for which no charge was made. In the past the Council laid always had the racecourse on a percentage basis and if the Council had mil made, any charge at the gate there could be no' percentage. Mr. Neville said that last year a percentage basis had obtained, but previous to that the Club had charged a flat rate. Continuing, AH. Robinson said that the Union secretary (Mr. Casey) thought that if a team played on the racecourse again the. Enion would be liable to pay the £5. There wore two games advertised to be played in Fusion last Saturday and if was 'thought that it llm seniors did not play the juuif>j.s could have the use of Easton Park instead of having to travel to Koputaroa. The juniors had a good chance of winning their competition and with iliis in view he had communicated with certain members of the committee on the mailer and.all had been unanimous in the cancellation of the senior game. The committee was there in the interests of all grades and not merely for the seniors. Air. Neville: Does this mean that we are going to let the seniors c-ome back at some future date and put the juniors off Easton Park. [ will certainly oppose such action in the future. There is never any trouble over the juniors. They get: a team together every year and stick together but there is trouble with the seniors every time. Air. Robinson said that Stevenson and Renata hail been disabled and three other players had left the district. They had found themi lv. s in ali unlY.j-tuiiati- position. Air. L. AlHCnrthy said that ii was hard on senior players who were keen on the game that they should have to suffer just for a few men. Afr. C. Procter said that on the day in question, Taylor (fhe senior captain) said he had sixteen men available to take the -field and he for one wanted to know why the game had been forfeited. Jf the club started the year with a senior team it should carry on to the end of the season. In other towns when a senior team was short juniors filled the brenc-h and thirds assisted the juniors. He thought the damage had been done now and did not think ii would be possible to get a senior team together again after what had occurred. .Ur. Robinson said that it had been impossible to get eight senior players to travel even when there were volunteer ears provided, so that it did not seem as though the seniors were worth bothering about. Afr. Procter: They don’t, like charity. Afr. Walls: Well they’ve accepted iL before. Air. Procter: The players would i at her pay their way. Air. Robinson: Well there was nothing to stop them paying for the benzine. Mr. Procter then challenged Mr. Robinson's statement to the effect lhal if the senior game had not keen forfeited the juniors would have lmd to travel to Koputaroa alter the game had been advertised to be played at Foxton. It was utter bosh, he said, to say that. Mr. Robinson: The Council has the power to change the venue if Hu •re is no ground io play on. Mr. Walls: Well I’m pleased to .-.ee the Poston seniors default on their own ground in ample time to cancel arrangements instead of bringing a team here before doing -o as they have done in the past. Mr. Robinson: We are here to study nil grades and yet there is not a grade that lias been mere nursed than the Fox!on seniors in years past. When the juniors had :■ good chance of winning the championship and the public of seeing two of the best junior teams in the Enion at play 1 think there was every justification for the cancellation of the senior game. The juniors would certainly give a better exhibition of the code. Mr. Proctor: Everywhere we have played the press reports have said

the senior matches were of a high standard. If the seniors had a decent coach they would have a decent. team, he concluded. Mr. Robinson said he had been quite willing and ready to eoaeli the seniors, but they had not turned up to practice. Mr. Procter: Does the coach turn up? He said he had missed only one practice and had never seen the coach present. 'Air. Walts said the juniors had forfeited only one match since 1920. They paid their fares and never received any free trips, and deserved some consideration.

Air. Procter said he was quite sympathetic towards the juniors, but it was “bosh” to say the Euiou could get out of paving the i‘s to the Racing Glut) if it didn’t play any more matches on the racecourse. The secretary of ihe Club had not even been consulted on the cancellation of the game. The whole thing was apparently done because the Union secretary wanted it done. Mr. Robinson said he would lie very pleased if a senior team could be found without the nine men listed as unable to play, as two men had guaranteed to pay the Senior Knoe'k'-out competition nomination if they played two games in the competition.

Afr. Walls: Last year the seniors paid £1 to enter the competition and then forfeited.

Air. Neville said every year it was the same. The Club started off with three teams and half way through the season a number of senior players hacked out and penalised other players who had to go to other clubs if they wanted to play all through the season. Air. Robinson said that last season the seniors fulfilled all obligations, and five players had been injured in the championship. Others had gone to play elsewhere.

Air. Procter said there had been dissatisfaction Lu the ranks of the seniors all through the season.

Afr. Robinson cited a case where Mr. Neville lmd paid for hoots foxone senior, who had thereupon cleared out to play for another team. If they were all like Mr. Procter, he said, there would be no trouble.

After further discussion it was decided to hold the fate of the seniors over until it was ascertained what action the Council would take with regard to the proposed inter-club scheme.